Land Taxation.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 22, 31 May 1911, Page 5

Land Taxation.

At a meeting of the Auckland branch of the Labour party held last week, the question of laud taxation came up. The Nelson branch of the Carpenters’ Society wrote urging the following proposals by the Land Values League be endorsed: — (1) “That the Customs tariff, amounting to an income tax of 3s fid in the £ on the wages of working people, while landowners and capitalists with an income of £lO,OOO pay only one halfpenny in the pound, is an injustice so gross and shameful that the workers should refuse to vote for any Parliamentary candidate who is not prepared to demand its immediate abolition.” (2) “That in the opinion of this meeting the policy so ably advocated by Mr Arthur Withy, general secretary of the New Zealand Land \ alues League, of untaxing labour and labour products and taxing land values instead, is the only statesmanlike policy before the country—the only policy that will bring to all classes of wageearners the economic freedom and justice they have so long been denied —-and therefore we call upon the wage-earners of every constituency to close up their ranks, and at the forthcoming general election return candidates who will sup port Mr Withy’s land policy, which is now the policy of all true Labourites in the Homeland.” (3) “That copies of these resolutions be forwarded to the Acting Prime Minister, the Hon. Jas. Carroll, M.P., and to the local papers.” The proposal was fully discussed, and it was then decided that a reply lie sent that the Party already had a plank in its platform, and could not go outside it; that while the single tax idea of Ignd taxation could be supported, the Party’s land reform proposals went further. It was decided to arrange for holding a meeting at an early date in order to hear an address by Mr Withy on the subject.